Breeding ball!

Breeding ball!

Postby Mr S » Wed Oct 14, 2009 11:43 am

On 10-10-2009 i was called out to catch a brown snake mating with another brown snake here in Nelspruit. As reluctant as i was to disturb the lovely couple the house owner assured me that if their dogs saw the snakes it would be the end of them both so i pulled the two brown house snakes from their love nest and placed them in a pillow case. The female was noticeably larger than the male. As i turned back to pick up my grab another small head popped out of the same hole. Alas! another little male. Very chuffed that i had caught three snakes on one spot i climbed in by bakkie and left.

Half way back to the office they phoned again and said another had come out of the hole and into the plants. I turned around to hopefully catch the forth. Searched for 10 min around the last place they saw it go but he had evaded us and then returned to the hole where they all originated out of. Alas alas another one. Caught as another small male. After drinking a coffee to pass the time hoping more would surface i left it at that.

Four caught brown house snakes and one that got away, therefore five in a breeding ball!

I know and have seen this in pythons and anacondas but never in brown house snakes. Has anybody ever seen this in other spp??
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Re: Breeding ball!

Postby Mongoose » Wed Oct 14, 2009 11:52 am

I have noticed this with Black file snakes. It has also been recorded within Philothamnus - 30-40 males and a few females.
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Re: Breeding ball!

Postby Amphibian » Wed Oct 14, 2009 12:10 pm

That is an awsome find.
Every year we see a similar scenario with Boomslang here in KZN. One female with heaps of males in the same tree. I don't think its necessarily a breeding ball but obviously the pheromones the females release attract a bunch of males.
completely irrelevant but Interestingly enough I have seen it documented that in certain species of snake the males create a type of spermicidal plug blocking the females cloaca. This is done directly after mating to prevent any late comers mating with the same female.
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Re: Breeding ball!

Postby cynicman » Tue Nov 24, 2009 10:38 pm

you are so lucky... I am so wanting to get a male for my female bhs. She is about 15-18 months old captive bred.
Reptiles in my care: 2x Brown House (1x Female, 1x Male - here's hoping), Natal Green Male, 1x Herald, 1x Bearded Dragon Female

Total Pet Count: 26 | Dogs: 4 | Cats: 6 | Rats: 11 | Snakes: 4 | Lizards: 1
And each one is loved!!!
*My wife has lots of patience...

If you love reptiles, you would probably love rodents as well: http://www.sarodents.co.za/
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